Surfers and surf watchers are expected to flood the north and west shores of O'ahu and Maui today in what is being called epic surf that may be the biggest in 40 years.

Surfers were poring over maps, charts and weather information yesterday after waves were forecast today to reach heights of 30 to 40 feet — and possibly 50 feet in the outer reefs around the north and west shores of O'ahu, Maui and Moloka'i.

Maui County officials yesterday moved the lifeguard tower at Baldwin Beach in Pä'ia farther inland to protect it from wave damage and made other preparations for "exceptionally high" surf expected to arrive today.

Maui police, ocean safety officers and rescue firefighters made staffing adjustments for the possibility that waves could inundate roads on Maui, Moloka'i and Läna'i.

Maui officials also warned that some beaches could be closed today.

On Saturday, volunteers from Maui's Community Emergency Response Team program delivered warning fliers to more than 500 homes and businesses in Ke'anae, Kahakuloa and Paukukalo.

On O'ahu, advocates for the homeless visited beach encampments, urging people to move away from the shoreline. The city opened three shelters on O'ahu, all of which take pets.

The shelters are at Lili'uokalani Church, Sunset Beach Community Center and Wai'anae District Park.

Honolulu firefighters yesterday stationed a helicopter at the Kahuku Fire Station for potential rescues. It will return today and tomorrow, said Honolulu fire Capt. Earle Kealoha.

Despite wave heights of only 10 to 15 feet yesterday, Honolulu lifeguards remained busy.

They only rescued one person — at Sunset Beach park yesterday morning — but issued nearly 1,000 warnings, said Bryan Cheplic, city Emergency Services Department spokesman.

"There's a lot of attention here," said Eddie Crawford, manager at the Surf 'n Sea store in Hale'iwa. "People are flying in from all over to surf these big waves."

As in 1998, 1983, 1974 and the Big One in 1969, surf like this makes legends.

Jim McKinney's Sunset Beach home was washed away by the '69 surf.

"I'll be watching the surf with interest," McKinney said. "If it comes in as big as they say, there will be a lot of damage to the shoreline. Already the sand is gone at Laniäkea."

Buzzy Kerbox, a Maui surfer, said more than 25 jet watercraft have been shipped to Maui so tow-in surfers can take on "Jaws," off the Häna Highway near mile marker 13.

Teams of tow-in surfers — those who use jet watercraft to race into waves too big to paddle into — are streaming in to Jaws from Brazil, South Africa and Australia, Kerbox said.

"Maui Jaws will be the premier spot for surfing," Kerbox said. "We're gonna see some of the biggest waves we've seen since we began towing."

CONTEST POSSIBLE

The surf has to be in the right condition for the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau invitational contest to be held at Waimea Bay. Organized every winter, the tournament has rarely been held because surf at Waimea Bay hasn't met its requirements: ridable 20-plus foot waves measured Hawaiian-style — from the back of the wave — or about 40 feet from peak to trough. The meet was last held on Dec. 15, 2004.

George Downing, contest director of the Eddie Aikau invitational, said last night that there was a 50 percent chance of running the event today and an 80 percent chance tomorrow.

Peter Cole, a member of the grassroots Surfrider Foundation, said he doesn't think there will be waves as massive as in 1969.

"I've been studying the charts, and my gut feeling is they'll be big, but not like the '69 surf," Cole said. "That was legitimate 50-foot surf."

The monster waves are being powered by two storms north by northwest of Hawai'i that will produce high surf through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

A high-surf warning was issued yesterday by the weather service through 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Lifeguards are warning people to avoid entering the ocean in high-surf areas and to not turn their backs on waves while on the shoreline, or while standing on rocky coastlines.

"The power of these waves is absolutely frightening," Kerbox said. "It's like being thrown into a gorilla cage, and the gorilla does whatever he wants with you until you get out."